Buoy.



No. 758,218. PATBNTBD APR. 26, 1904. s. w. ROBERTS.

} BUOY. APPLICATION FILED JULY '1, 1903.

80 MODEL.

1w VENTOF I v ,gy

' Arronuzr WI TNESSES;

UNITED STATES Patented April 26,1904.

PATE T OFFICE.

SOLOMON W. ROBERTS, OF HURTSBORO, ALABAMA.

BUOY. T

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,218, dated-April 261904.

Application filed July 7, 1903. Serial No- 164,5Z4- (No model) To aZZwhom/it may concern:

Be itknown that I, SoLoMoN W. Ronnnrsof Hurtsboro, in the county ofRussell and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Buoys, of which they mately perpendicular position, sothat the light which is placed on the top is always in view.

- A still further object is to provide the buoy with means placedconsiderably below the bod y to weight it down and keep it at all timesapproximately perpendicular.

The buoy is also secured in such a manner as to prevent its twisting andthe consequent entanglingof the cable that supplies electrical energywith any other parts of the' apparatus.

The invention is illustrated in the accom' panying' drawings, in Which-Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved buoy, and Fig. 2 is a centralvertical section of a modified form of the construction.

In the drawings similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding partson both views.

10 is the body of the buoy, that is of course water-tight and maintainsit on the surface of the water. A cover 11 may be secured on the topthereof and hinged at 12 with any suitable fastening means 13 to clampthe cover down tight on the body portion.

A central perpendicular column or post 1 L is arranged projecting upfrom the center of the cover 11, and suitable braces 15 can be employedto furnish additional stability and to properly brace the column 14.This column acts as a channel through whichthefeed- Wires (indicatedindotted outline in Fig. 1) are disposed, and a lamp 16 is placed at thetop, with a suitable reflector 17 disposed to shed the light upon thewater, but not calcu lated to prevent the light being seen from acomparatively high free-board. The lamp 16 may be of any of theelectrical varieties, either the arc, inclosed are, or incandescentkind; but the incandescent is preferable, as it has no carbons that willrequire renewaL' Depending from the. body of the buoy is a weight 18 ofany suitable shape, being supported by the rods 19, suitably disposed,but preferably arranged as shown in the drawings, which pass through thelugs 20 and are secured by the nuts 20; This weightis situated farenough below the body portion to keep the center of gravity well down,so that the tossing of the waves Will not throw the column 1 1 very farout of the perp'endicular.

Suitable rings 21 are placed preferably on opposed sides of the bodyportion 10 and chains 22 are adapted to be connected to anchors thatwill keep the. buoy in the place where it is designed to be and at thesame time are taut enough to prevent the twisting or turning of the buoyfar enough to entangle the feed-cable with the chains or the rods 19.

As shown in'Fig. 1, the feed-cable can be run 7 ble before emerging fromthe bottom of the column, and a clamp 25 can be placed around thefeed-cable and rest upon a cap or flange 26, screwed or otherwisesecured to the bottonrof the column, thereby taking the weight of thecable from the lamp-socket. In this construction the weight 18 isrounded out at the bottom, as at 27, so that when the buoy rocks thereare no sharp edges to engage and chafe the insulation of the cable,thereby preventing any sh'ort cirouiting. Suitable flanges or gaskets 28are arranged at the points where the coiumn 14L passes through the bodyportion of the buoy 10 to insure the exclusion of the water. In thisconstruction I have illustrated no cover, as it Would be impracticable;but in Fig. 1 the cover can be thrown back if necessity arises for anyrepairs or inspection.

It will thus be seen that the buoy herein described provides a safe andreliable means for identifying channels or marking and locating shoals,bars, or obstructions in a Waterway. They can be arranged in series,being fed through afeed-cable connected in series with a dynamo orsource of electricity on land, or ghey can be used individually, as Willbe evient.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. A buoy comprisinga body portion, a tuadapted to limit the turning of the buoy.

2. A buoy comprising a body portion, a hinged cover on the top of thebody portion, a tubular post projecting from the cover and openingtherein, Wires Within the body portion and the post adapted to projectfrom the body portion, a lamp arranged on the end of the post, areflector thereon arranged to allow the rays from the lamp to emanate atan acute angle to a horizontal plane, a Weight oppositely disposed inrelation to the post adapted to maintain the buoy in its perpendicularposition, and chains secured to opposite sides of the body portionadapted to be connected to anchors and secure the buoy, said chainsacting to limit the turning of the buoy.

3. A buoy comprising a body portion, a tubular post projecting from thetop thereof and opening therein, a lamp arranged on the post, a Weightdisposed on the opposite side of the buoy andv suspended from the bodyportion to maintain it in its perpendicular position,means for limitingthe turning of the buoy and an approximately horizontal reflectorarranged approximately horizontal above the lamp to reflect upon theWater, but allowing the light to emerge at an acute angle to ahorizontal plane.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

SOLOMON WV. ROBERTS. Witnesses T. S. DAVIS, C. J. TUNE.

